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By Jennifer Farnsworth
With the pandemic altering people’s lives, some forms of entertainment in the area are seeing a spike, particularly video games. It might not always be the ideal circumstance for an increase in business, but Dan Shevlin, owner of Insane Games, said trading in his 1,100-square-foot location for 9,000 square feet of space in the Wilton Mall proved to be a smart and timely move.
Shevlin moved his business from the smaller space in the mall into larger confines that used to house the Victoria’s Secret and Pink stores. He said the parent company for the two had put a lot of effort into maintaining the space, so he didn’t have to make structural upgrades. He did, however, have to start with one major change: the pink paint.
“It was very pink and our colors are green and black, which you would think would easily cover up pink, but it didn’t. It took a lot of coats of paint,” said Shevlin.
“We were very busy during the holidays and had what felt like a usual Black Friday. For safety reasons, we have to keep the limit of customers to 25 percent which was easy to do in this new space,” said Shevlin.
He is excited not only about the location, but also an expansion of the business that included building a video game streaming center. That space also allows for more of the items that gamers like to take advantage of.
“When you walk in, we have a space to really showcase all of the pop culture items like key chains, lanyards, and statues,” said Shevlin.
What was Pink now houses Insane Games TV, a collective of “gamers and streamers.” Shevlin said when the pandemic first hit and the mall was forced to close, streamers began broadcasting remotely from their homes. Shevlin has about 10 streamers working for him and five other store employees.
Eventually Shevlin said he would like to see Insane Games TV become a 24/7 streaming network.
“The streaming aspect is something we are really looking to grow, we’re excited about it,” said Shevlin.
Shevlin said that they are currently working on a website but frequently update their Facebook page.
They can also be reached at 518-871-1000. Hours are Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.